This blog is a place to ruminate on the problems of teaching. If I am thinking thoughtfully, my posts will hopefully raise more questions than answers. By problematizing teaching we reflect on those questions that are constantly behind, in front, and at center of everything we do in the classroom. Feel free to comment. I'd love to hear what other teachers are thinking about on these and other issues.
Cheers!
Elisa

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Recently I was invited to blog on Schoolwide Blog. www.schoolwideblog.com So far, I've posted three blogs on parent involvement in their children's learning. I've enjoyed the process of writing and the responses I've received to my entries. I am limited to approximately 250 words and, needless to say, this has been a challenge. It's not easy saying something of worth in 250 words. I've learned that it's important to be concise and to the point. It's not necessary to say everything there is to say in the world about a topic. In fact, it's better to say just enough to get others thinking. This will help me as I design mini lessons for reading and writing. I tend to want to say and teach too much rather than just enough. Like with this post.

Oh, one last thing. :) Dick Allington will be the newest blogger on Schoolwide Blog. So, tune in if you can.

I've always considered myself a good teacher of writing and I love to write. My students leave my classroom at the end of each year loving to write, as well. Nevertheless, I haven't always seen myself as a writer. I do write a lot but most of it has been for my own consumption. I think of writers as people who share some of their writing with others by publishing it - with a capital P. Yet, this summer I've begun to rethink this image I have of myself and what a writer looks like. This despite all of my intellectual rationalizations about writers and writing. Go figure!

This summer I've been doing a lot of writing while simultaneously reflecting on myself as a writer. I already think of myself as an avid reader. I have no trouble with this label. Could it be because most of the reading I do is solitary except for the occasional book study or book club I've been involved in?

Here's a list of the writing I've been doing this summer:--papers for my…

Well, I am officially on vacation. The children and I barely got through the last week of school without a major mishap as they were at each other's throat from the first day of the week. There were a lot of conflicting feelings for many of them and although we talked about this they are after all six and seven year olds. They are just beginning to understand the permanence and meaning of farewells. I loved this year's class as I always do and wished I could keep them for one more year. But, I sent them on with, I hope, lots of strategies for how to learn and live well.

So, I packed my old room for a new grade 2 teacher and I moved all of my things into my new room. I feel like a little kid with a new toy: my new room! It's smaller than my old room but it has a beautiful window with a great big window seat. The teacher that lived in this classroom a few years ago used the window area for her desk crowding that beautiful space with her stuff. I plan to use it as …